The upper chamber of Congress on this Tuesday quickly approved to a bill that will require the publication of official records concerning the deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, after a almost unanimous vote in the House of Representatives and a change of position by Donald Trump and his GOP allies. The administration relented after an extended period of trying to forestall the cross-party initiative involving a scandal that has plagued the president since his comeback to the White House.
Unanimous Approval in Congress
The Senate acted by consensus, which needs acceptance from each senator but does not require a formal roll call vote, accelerating the process. Earlier that day, the House passed by a huge margin the bill on a near-unanimous vote.
The public have endured sufficient delay. Those affected have suffered long enough,” Chuck Schumer said in a Senate remarks on Tuesday, before asking the Senate to approve it without opposition. “Uncover the facts. Let transparency reign.”
Next Steps
This legislation next will be sent to Donald Trump for his signature. Trump signaled on Monday that he would endorse the legislation.
Though Trump has for an extended period downplayed the uproar over the government’s handling of the Epstein case as a “political stunt”, he signalled his support for the measure over the past few days, and stated he would sign the measure if it reaches his desk.
Support and Opposition
Opposition lawmakers, along with survivors of Epstein and their supporters who were seated in a House gallery, applauded after the bill was approved. The sole “no” vote came from a Louisiana Republican, who expressed concern he worried the measure would reveal personal information of individuals involved, those under scrutiny and others caught up in the investigation.
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